Used book – The Bureau of Occult Affairs (Volume 1), Éric Fouassier

In 1830, in a feverish Paris still reeling from the July Revolution, Louis-Philippe's government, with the new King of the French at its head, struggled to rein in a divided but virulent opposition. Young Inspector Valentin Verne is transferred to the Sûreté Brigade, founded a few years earlier by the famous Vidocq. He must solve a series of strange deaths likely to destabilize the regime. For advancing science, mixed with the then-popular esotericism, inspires a new type of criminality. With his passion for chemistry and medicine and his taste for the irrational, Valentin knows how to decipher its codes. Appointed head of the "Bureau des Affaires Occultes," a special department tasked with tracking these modern criminals, he will prove his extraordinary skills.

But who is this solitary police officer, obsessed with hunting down an elusive criminal known as "the Vicar"? Who hides behind this angelic face, where a disturbing ferocity sometimes shines through?

A thrilling first installment. Read it now.

Prix Maison de la Presse 2021.